Naturally Sweetened Cranberry Sauce
This naturally sweetened cranberry sauce recipe is made simply with fresh cranberries, honey or maple syrup and orange zest! It's ready in 10 minutes.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Let’s talk about cranberry sauce! It’s the neglected, afterthought condiment of Thanksgiving, but no holiday table is complete without it. Cranberry sauce adds a very necessary burst of sweet-tart flavor and ruby red color to an otherwise beige meal.
This naturally sweetened cranberry sauce recipe is much prettier than store-bought, not to mention extra delicious thanks to the honey or maple syrup.
Plus, this homemade cranberry sauce couldn’t be easier to make. It’s ready in about 10 minutes. If you need a quick and easy Friendsgiving option, sign up for the cranberry sauce!
Here’s what you’ll need to make this cranberry sauce recipe:
- 1 bag of fresh cranberries
- Honey or maple syrup
- Water
- Zest from one orange, or orange juice
…and a pot to cook it in. That’s it.
Watch How to Make Cranberry Sauce
Naturally Sweetened vs. Conventional Cranberry Sauce
There is something fantastically retro about a gelatinous, shimmering cylinder of canned cranberry sauce on a plate. I’ve always wondered when we started buying cans of cranberry sauce instead of making it themselves. Did we experience a fresh cranberry shortage in the 50s? Maybe fresh cranberries weren’t readily available back then?
Fortunately for us modern Americans, grocery stores are overflowing with cranberries this season. I picked up a can of cranberry sauce at the grocery store recently and glanced at the list—cranberries, followed by high fructose corn syrup, and that’s about it. High fructose corn syrup is heavily processed, flavorless sweet stuff that I try to avoid, and I know you all do, too.
Most homemade versions call for about a cup of white sugar. Today, I thought I would offer you a more nutritionally redeeming, naturally sweetened option that calls for 1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup.
Uses for Leftover Cranberry Sauce
- Swirl leftover sauce into yogurt with granola.
- Dollop it into your oatmeal (like this).
- Spread it onto toast topped with almond butter or goat cheese (like this).
- Basically, treat it like jam.
Please let me know how this cranberry sauce turns out for you in the comments. If you have any other fun ways to use up your leftover sauce, I’ll add them to the list.
Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes? Check out my roundup here.
Naturally Sweetened Cranberry Sauce
This naturally sweetened cranberry sauce recipe is made simply with fresh cranberries, honey or maple syrup and orange zest! It’s easy to make and tastes amazing, too. Recipe yields about 2 cups cranberry sauce.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (1 bag) fresh cranberries
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- ½ cup water
- Zest of 1 medium orange*, preferably organic (about 1 teaspoon)
- Truly optional add-ins: ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and/or ¼ cup fresh orange juice
Instructions
- First, rinse the cranberries well and drain off excess water. Pick through the cranberries and discard any squishy ones.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, honey and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have popped and the mixture has thickened to your liking, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat and stir in the orange zest. If you’d like to add cinnamon or orange juice, add it now. Taste and, if the mixture is too tart (keeping in mind that cranberry sauce is supposed to be a little tart!), add more orange juice, honey or maple syrup to taste.
- The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. It will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my cranberry crostini.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey.
Prepare in advance: You can make this sauce up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate, then let it warm to room temperature before serving.
*How to remove zest: I use a Microplane grater (affiliate link), which easily removes the zest. You could also use the fine holes of your box grater. If you want to simplify, skip the zest and stir in ¼ cup orange juice instead.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This looks like such a good alternative to the dreaded can!
I have a few questions: Can you make this ahead of time? I’m hosting Thanksgiving, so I’d like to have as much work done ahead as possible. If you can, would you recommend heating it up of serving it cold?
Yes, you could definitely make this one day or even a few days in advance. I’d probably just let it room to room temperature on its own.
Step 4 in the instructions state, “It will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 weeks.” so I don’t see why you couldn’t make it several days in advance keeping in mind that if you have leftovers, you will have to subtract the number of days you made it ahead from 14 days before all of it should be eaten. Love that this recipe doesn’t include as much sweetness as conventional ones. Can’t wait to try it!
Finally found a use for a bag of cranberries I bought on a whim! Will definitely make this for Thanksgiving. Thanks for the recipe!
Perfect! Thanks, Taylor!
super recipe! But who the heck is Jennifer Garner???
She was the lead character on Alias and star of 13 Going on 30, etc. Look familiar? http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004950/
Loved the elevator story! So cool that you met Jennifer Garner :) cranberry sauce is definitely something I can’t miss at Christmas Eve dinner (we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in Belgium so we go all out on Christmas), it’s typical holiday food for me! I’ve never made it myself, but I’ll keep your recipe in mind for this year’s holidays!
Thanks, Lys! Glad to know that you all enjoy cranberry sauce in Belgium. Happy holidays!
I have been making cranberry sauce for a while. But with sugar.I can’t believe it but it never occurred to me me to make it with maple syrup. I thinks purring together cranberries, maple syrup, orange zest and cinnamon will make a stellar combination. Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks, Irina!
I honestly don’t mind canned sauce, but this looks so much better!
Cranberry sauce is so easy to make, and it tastes so much better, but I know a few people who will always insist canned is best. When I go to my in-laws I always bring homemade- and they always open a can. Sigh. This looks gorgeous.
Haha! I’m sorry they don’t appreciate your homemade sauce, Allyson.
It’s not Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce and homemade is the best. If only your guests knew how easy it is to make. Perfect for those leftover turkey sandwiches the next day too. This looks yummy with the honey and orange.
We were never really into cranberry sauce for holidays (maybe because it’s just some fake jelly in a can…) but this homemade version looks so much better. I want to put it all over some biscuits!
Perfect! I was just on here a few days ago searching cranberry sauce recipes and didn’t find one. I’ve made it before but I knew if you had a version it would be the best. Thanks!
Thank you, Lisa! :) Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!
And Happy Thanksgiving!
I grew up in the 50s and my mother would never go near the canned cranberry sauce. And that’s even though she hated to put out any more effort than necessary to accomplish things. I’m always happy to see simple recipes, and I like the way this one has natural sweetener, plus the interest of orange zest. Don’t need to make cranberry sauce this year, but I’m definitely saving the recipe. I had a moment like yours with Jennifer Garner many years ago in an antique shop in the Los Angeles area. It was the lady who played the police chief on General Hospital, and we ended up having a short conversation about antiques. What amazed me about the encounter is that she was as gorgeous without makeup as she looked on TV.
Glad to hear you grew up with real-deal cranberry sauce, Susan! Jennifer Garner was somehow even prettier in real life than on TV, too. Very impressive. :)
This is delicious and simple. I just whipped some up and stirred it into Greek yogurt with your healthy granola scattered across the top. Yum.
Happy to hear it! Thanks, Jennifer! I bet it goes great with that granola.
I’ve been making cranberry sauce without white sugar for awhile now and I add pears to it. Very similar recipe to this in fact. I’m pressed for time this year so I’ll be making Kate’s version this year. Kate’s recipes have never let me down yet!
Thank you, Trish! Hope you had a wonderful holiday.
You, too! By the way, your cranberry recipe is my go-to recipe from now on. Absolutely delish, no fuss, and quick. Thank you once again for giving me another keeper :)
Yesssss! :D
Oh my Jennifer Garner is my girl crush. She’s flawless and I’ve read she loves to cook. Can’t wait to make your cranberries! Thanks.
I didn’t know that she loves to cook! I’d believe it. She seems very down to earth.
The first time Jennifer was on the Martha Stewart Show, Martha was helping her perfect strawberry cupcakes with Strawberry meringue buttercream. Jennifer had previously made the cupcakes for her daughter Violet’s birthday, but they hadn’t turned out as well. My favorite Martha comment was “Someone as famous as you (Jennifer Garner) can afford 2 bowls for your kitchen-aid)”. But the best part was how Jennifer was and still is so awestruck by Martha and her cooking prowess. Every time I see Jennifer interviewed, she seems so down to earth. Naturally I went on to make the cupcakes for my oldest’s daughter’s first birthday.
Hahaha, I love that quote! Made me laugh. I had a similar conversation with a friend the other day (you can afford a nice coat, silly!). I was impressed that she took the time to smile and say hi to me. I can’t say that I smile and say hi to everyone I share elevator rides with, but she was inspired me to do better!
Everything that is homemade just tastes a lot better! Love your elevator story ;-)
Miriam x
I never thought of using honey so I’m definitely going to try this for Christmas Day :)
I agree with you on so many things:
Why buy a can when Cranberry Sauce is SO easy to make? I make it with apples, sometimes orange juice, sometimes whiskey… you can customize it and make it different every year.
I’m obsessed with the color, it’s BEAUTIFUL – and is fun to use on top of cornbread, sweet potatoes, turkey, basically everything…..
Also, high fructose corn syrup? gross!!!
This recipe seems so easy. I am excited to make it this morning with our turkey. I was wondering if I could sub the maple syrup with Agave. Would it give the same sweetness?
Hi Donna, I’m sorry for the delay. I think agave nectar would work, although I try not to use it in large quantities like this because it’s very high in fructose, which is hard for the body to process. It’s around the same sweetness and you could easily add more after cooking if your sauce isn’t sweet enough.
Jennifer Garner!! No way!!! That is amazing! On other news this recipe looks delish – happy thankgiving!
The BEST and easiest cranberry sauce recipe I’ve ever had! My only regret is having only doubled the recipe, as we love it. :) Perfect combination of tart and sweet….and best of all, e-a-s-y. Thanks!
Hooray! Thank you, Kyle.
I converted my can loving sister to homemade sauce by using a fine mesh strainer to strain out the skins and a lot of the seeds – it takes a lot of the bitterness out of the sauce and gives it a more jelly like texture. You get less volume that way but a little goes a long way. Also, add the orange juice since you’re zesting an orange anyway, it really brightens it up!
Oh, that’s good to know! Thank you, Aleta!
SO much better than the can. Love the natural sweeteners too!
Thanks, Gaby!
Is it really only a 1/2 cup of water, not hardly covering???
Yes! The cranberries will pop and add more liquid to the mix.
This is such a beautiful & delicious recipe. My boyfriend & have a tradition of making our own Thanksgiving feast on the day we get a live Christmas tree since we are usually traveling for thanksgiving & miss out on all the leftovers. I made this & it came together so nicely, with gorgeous color, and tasted amazing! Thanks Kate!
Thank you, Natalie! I’m so glad you enjoyed the sauce!
I tried your recipe for Thanksgiving, Kate. They loved it! First time I every made my own cranberry sauce and I loved your recipe without the sugar! I made it with the honey and going to try the maple syrup next time. Is the zest of an orange really only a teaspoon, Kate? It seemed like I had a lot more, but it was delicious, and the fragrance of the beautiful sauce was almost floral… Thank you so much and can’t wait to try more of your other recipes!
Hi Paula, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cranberry sauce! I’m guessing your orange was bigger than mine. Mine came to about 1 teaspoon! Zest is a pain to measure, but next time, maybe keep it closer to one.
Thank you for your advice, Kate… I am so grateful. Yes, I thought the orange was small, but, I zested every morsel I could from it, and probably overdid it a little :) Maybe that’s why the cranberry sauce had a delightful scent of flowers? I’ll stick to 1 teaspoon next time. I’m going to make it again soon! I also loved stirring it into my yogurt, and can’t wait to try it on oatmeal for breakfast… It is so delicious!
I had 6 oz. of frozen cranberries left over from the holidays so I tried this recipe, cut in half, using maple syrup. Yay! The cranberries broke down more than the Ocean Spray recipe, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Very tasty, very easy and I feel a lot better using .5 C of maple syrup/honey instead of 1 C of sugar for the same 12 oz. of cranberries.
I made this for ‘Thanksgiving in July’ that I hosted for my friends in Australia. It was perfect! I made a couple adjustments – I used Agave instead of honey, and put some orange zest into the pot while the cranberries (frozen!) were boiling. Also, I reserved a few ‘whole’ cranberries to stir through right at the end to add a nice visual. Absolutely delicious, thanks for sharing. xx
Long ago my grandmother taught me how to make a beautiful cranberry mould with fresh cranberries and sugar which involved removing the skins by pressing the cooked berries through a screen. What I’m wondering is, if I were to use your recipe in order to avoid sugar, would I still be able to get a nice skinless mould?
Hmmm, I really can’t say for sure, but it’s probably worth a shot!
I want to make it without any sugar that still works right? Cause Im doing a chicken breast recipe mixed with BBQ sauce 1 onion and light seasoning. Not for thanksgiving but for general everyday dinner recipe.
Yes, it’ll work, but be very tart.
This recipe looks and sounds amazing. I am wondering if I can use both honey and maple syrup, half of each, or should it only be one or the other? My family and I just picked a huge bushel of cranberries at the cottage and we have enough to times the recipe by 8. We will try freezing some and plan to give some to family and friends. So I’m wondering if the combination of both would be a nice taste or should we just chose one? :)
Hi Diana! That’s a good question, and I’m not quite sure which option would be the very best. Any combination would be delicious, I’m sure. :)
Just made it for a very late Canadian Thanksgiving. My husband and I along with our families are trying to eat cleaner without packaged and processed foods and this recipe is exactly what I was looking for. I added a bit of orange juice and it was fantastic. Thank you very much Kate, it’s a second of your recipes I am putting down as a family favourite – first being the apple oatmeal pancakes! Looking forward to more recipes from your blog :)
Thank you so much, Zhibek! Delighted to hear that you’re enjoying my recipes. Thank you for letting me know.
Hello Kate!
Just wondering if this recipe would be okay to can? I’d love to make several batches of this natural sauce and give pints as gifts! Thank you!
This looks great! I was hoping to use my 3 oz slow cooker for this. Would you recommend how long and if I should do it on high or low? Thank you! -Jan
Looks fantastic!
Thinking about adding some fresh sage…would you do that after you boil the cranberries for the 1st 5 min?
Can’t wait to make this!!
Yay! Thank you for posting this! I’m going to do my more complicated version, using your sweetener recommendation! Thank you, I’m so excited.
I made the cranberry dressing for Thanksgiving dinner tonight. It came out very well. I used local honey, some fresh squeezed orange and 1/2 cup of pineapple juice. It was very good with our turkey! As a pre-diabetic, I was able to eat it!
Thanks so much! So easy and wonderful. Just made this recipe with agave (a little less than 1/2 cup) instead of the honey/maple syrup, and it is delicious.
I was looking all over for an alternative to white sugar. This is the bomb, and I added pears to it . Thanks again
Cranberry sauce was sweet & tart simultaneously! Fun to make, few ingredients and empowering to conquer the art of making orange zest for the very first time!
Cranberry sauce was sweet & tart simultaneously! Fun to make, few ingredients and empowering to conquer the art of making orange zest for the very first time!
Made cranberry sauce for the first time. I didn’t realize it was that easy. I always thought it was time consuming and complicated. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was simple, fast and delicious with your recipe. Thank you.
I made this for Thanksgiving this year. I loved it, I did add a little extra honey. Thank you for a healthy cranberry sauce.
Deanna
LOVE THIS! I, too, am no longer on board with the overly sugary sauce… even homemade! It’s just too much.
As always, you’re blowing my mind Kate!
I wanted a sugar free cranberry sauce for our Christmas dinner as my son is diabetic. First, I tried another recipe using Splenda. The aftertaste was terrible. I then tried your recipe and it is really nice. When my son phoned me, I told him that I had made one with honey and he was pleased.
Thank you.
I just made this sauce at home in Wales, UK. It’s amazing and will be the perfect partner for my Christmas turkey. Thanks for the recipe!
Wanted to make sweet and sour meatballs, and my recipe started with a base of canned crandberry sauce – a big no no for me.
Usually I make the whole meat sauce with frozen crandberries and let the whole thing cook together. Today,I decided to try and first make the crandberry sauce. Looked up a healthy recipe, used yours. Walla! It came out gorgeous and pink and thick and delicious – I didn’t want to waste it by adding tomato sauce etc. and making meatballs, I wanted to jar it and eat it straight up!
Thank you for the recipe!
Happy Easter!! I came across your recipe while I was searching for a simple recipe for cranberry sauce. It’s a keeper! Pleasant tasting and so simple, it’s perfect!! I may add an other fruit or nut next time round or keep it as is…thanks for sharing!
Happy Easter, Angie! I’m glad you found this recipe. Feel free to be creative and see what you come up with!
Can frozen cranberries be substituted, and should the amount of liquid being added be reduced if you are using frozen? Thank you! :)
I used frozen and didn’t have to use less liquid. It turned out perfectly.
Super easy and super delicious! I love the tart flavor and the nice consistency. Can’t wait to pair it with my turkey tenderloin!
I’m so glad you enjoy it, Sunshine!